June 23-24, 2012: Crowd-Sourced Post on the Election

[Once again I’m following up the week’s series with a crowd-sourced post, drawn from comments and thoughts of readers and fellow American Studiers. Please add yours to the mix!]

On the Open Salon version of Monday’s post, Johnny Fever argues that it’s actually the Republicans who are poised to pass their version of the DREAM Act or similarly pro-immigrant legislation, while Paul J. O’Rourke echoes my sentiments with some additional political takes.

Rob Gosselin replies to Tuesday’s post by arguing, “I despise the fact that we live in a world where guns have to exist, and I choose not to own a gun myself. But I do know many people that own guns, and I do not fear them because they choose to keep one in their house. In fact I consider an armed populace to be a necessary, and perhaps the ultimate, check and balance to the power of government. Since we live in an educated and modern society it is hard to imagine that brutal and repressive people can use the rule of law to find their way to power. But history teaches us otherwise. Hitler and his cohorts legally rose to power. That does not mean that prudent regulation of guns should not exist. If no gun laws exist the population will live in fear of violence from people who will use guns to hurt them. There has to be reasonable restrictions on who is allowed to own a weapon. But if there is no gun ownership by a capable and law abiding populace then there is nothing to prevent the rise of tyranny. All we have to do is look at what is happening in Egypt right now. The military has taken control after an election said they couldn’t. A piece of paper, or a ballot box, will never guarantee freedom in a world where those who rise to power have exclusive access to weapons.” (And check out that post for subsequent conversation between me and Rob!)

Not a specific response to my Wednesday post of course, but I can’t pass up linking to this Robert Wright article on the latest move toward war with Iran, one unfortunately co-sponsored by both political parties.

Next series next week,

Ben

PS. What do you think? What American Studies connections would you make for this election, for our current political or social issues, for our debates or conversations?

6/23 Memory Day nominee: Alfred Kinsey, the scientist and researcher whose pioneering and controversial investigations into human behavior and sexuality fundamentally changed our understanding of ourselves.

6/24 Memory Day nominees: A tie between two almost diametrically opposed but equally influential 19^th century Americans, Henry Ward Beecher and Ambrose Bierce.